Liquid dispensers are well-known in food service applications. One example of such a liquid dispenser is a cream dispenser. Typically, such dispensers include a dispenser housing, which contains a reservoir for holding the liquid to be dispensed, and a valve assembly for dispensing the cream. Generally, the housing and reservoir are made of stainless steel, plastic, or other durable material acceptable for food contact, and the housing is usually provided with suitable thermal insulation. The reservoir may comprise a container or frame that supports a bag or liner that is pre-filled with the liquid to be dispensed. The liquid stored in the reservoir is cooled in the dispenser by a cooling system, such as a mechanical refrigeration system or refreezable eutectic device.
These existing liquid food dispensers have a number of disadvantages. The metal housings of such dispensers are relatively expensive to manufacture. To use such dispensers having a refillable reservoir, one must fill the reservoir from the carton or other container in which the liquid is packaged.
In the prior application, an inventive cream dispenser was described. The dispenser is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and it is convenient to use and easier to clean than prior art dispensers having storage reservoirs which require cleaning. In addition, it is relatively compact in size yet can dispense cream from multiple storage containers at one time.
The present invention provides an alternative liquid dispenser, which accommodates a variety of container sizes, provides a means for cooling the liquid as it is dispensed from the various containers and yet is still compact and convenient to use. The dispenser of the present invention is also easy to operate, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easy to clean. It can be operated using as the reservoir a choice of a refillable container or pre-filled disposable container, including a pre-filled bag or liner.